DHFC v Met Police - LGBT History Month Game 3/2/18

We have now taken delivery of our LBGT History Month scarves. These will be exclusively on-sale via the mega-container priced £10, with a donation from each one sold being made to the Gay Football Supporters Network. It's expect that these limited edition scarves will sell out very quicker, so purchases are restricted to 2 person / transaction. In addition we hope to have several other items for sale on the day celebrating LGBT History Month.

I assume Beaney handled the ball in the goalmouth before it was cleared? That referee was very weak. Their 4 & 5 were both booked for bringing down Allassani from behind in the first half; 5 minutes after half time the 5 felled him again with a crude late tackle outside the box - pretty straightforward second yellow card IMO, and I had a good view of it from the near side - but the ref let him off with a talking to. Then 5 minutes later he shows our man a red card. It's normally a game of chess in this fixture, and today was typical.

If I am honest, as harsh as I believe Beaney's red card was, we may have been lucky not to be down to 9 men, and the Met also lucky not to be down to 10 or 9, after the challenge between Mummery and Green in the second half in which both players seemed to go over the ball with studs showing

If I am honest, as harsh as I believe Beaney's red card was, we may have been lucky not to be down to 9 men, and the Met also lucky not to be down to 10 or 9, after the challenge between Mummery and Green in the second half in which both players seemed to go over the ball with studs showing

From very close by it looked like the Mummery/Green challenge could have been reds for both but I think the following free kick wasn't even given for that.

The ref and stand-side lino were both poor. God knows why the ref put up with the Met players being continually in his face and manhandling him. The no. 3 didn't shut up all day and got the lino to give one of the most ridiculous offside decisions in recent memory.

Throw in the clear targeting of Reise and it was a weirdly cynical performance from a team that more often can appear a little naive.

There were a few goal line clearances that probably would have gone in on another day.
Their shot that rattled off the bar looked more goalside of the line than not from my view in the stands. But none of them seemed to appeal for it.
Reise was looking a bit laboured in his running at the end and also could have passed a few times to put others through but decided to try and dribble past every player to get through on goal.

Just watched the highlights and that Mummery/Green challenge might have been a red card for either or both players. (I saw a video clip online only a few days ago from a Northern Premier League match in which both players were sent off for a similar incident, which I've never seen before, i.e. two red cards for serious foul play in the same challenge.) The ball clearly hits Beaney's arm for the penalty incident after bouncing up awkwardly, although whether or not it was intentional I guess only the player knows. On balance I won't dispute the referee's penalty + red card decision, I'm more annoyed that the player who had the shot was the no.5 who was excused a second yellow card on more than one occasion after a deserved first half booking. He shouldn't have been on the field by that point.

This is rarely an entertaining fixture unless like last year we seize the initiative early and make them chase the game, and on that occasion we blew a two goal lead, went back in front immediately, then conceded a last minute equaliser from a penalty in a 3-3 draw. I felt we looked lightweight up front this time against their strongarm tactics. We could certainly have done with a Dumaka up front, or Dipo Akinyemi whom I believe we were poised to sign from Stevenage on Friday before the move fell through at the last moment. In fact until Taylor went off injured right at the end of the first half I'd even thought it may be worth bringing on Weatherstone for Ming, moving Clunis to wing back, and pushing Hayles up front as we did for the climax of the fightback at Hendon. Even with their extra man they seemed to be mainly playing for set piece opportunities, which they generally do anyway. So at least in successfully defending all of those we accomplished something. Unfortunately the goals have rather dried up with just two in the last four matches after scoring 14 in the previous four. Not sure how many matches it is for Beaney's red card, but both he and Kargbo will be missing at Lowestoft on Saturday.